


Things Which Never Change

by PrincessDarcy_of_Asgard



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Bullying, Domestic Fluff, Drabble, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 06:45:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6318796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessDarcy_of_Asgard/pseuds/PrincessDarcy_of_Asgard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumple comforts his daughter after she has a nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things Which Never Change

**Author's Note:**

> Coolness points if you know where the OC names are from.

The clicking of a turning doorknob stirred Rumplestiltskin from his shallow sleep.  With a faint creaking of hinges the bedroom door opened and a small voice cut through the darkness. 

"Mama?" Jaina whispered. 

Rumple gently and quietly swung his legs out of bed so as not to disturb his wife. Their second daughter was due to arrive soon and Gaeriel was exhausted by what turned out to be a difficult pregnancy. The woman had earned her rest. 

"Let's not wake Mama, Dearest. What's wrong?"

The little girl who was all of four years old tiptoed over to her father, considering whether to drop her stuffed animals so she could hug him. She didn't. 

"Had a bad dream, Papa." Jaina squeezed her plushies. 

"Oh no." Rumple made a mental note to place a 'peaceful sleep' charm above the girl's bed later. "I know what will help."

He scooped his daughter up, the wooden floors were far too cold for her bare feet, and carried her to the den. Once there, Rumple let Jaina down onto the carpet. She tossed her stuffed animals onto the sofa and fetched a cushion from a stack in the corner. Only when Jaina was comfortably seated did she speak up. 

"What're we gonna do?"

"Weee," Rumple said, drawing out the word, "are going to watch a movie. Which would you like?" 

"Oh oh! Dinosaurs, Papa!" Jaina answered excitedly, rocking back and forth. 

"Alright, alright." Rumple chuckled and plucked the disc from the shelf. He put it in the DVD player and took a seat next to his little girl who seemed to have already forgotten about her nightmare. 

While Alan Grant lectured his team, Rumple conjured a bowl of Jaina's favorite snack: melon balls and cheese cubes. 

"Papa, did you have dinosaurs in the Enchanted Forest?"

"No, Dearest. We had dragons." 

"Lots?" 

"Very few, I'm afraid."

"Why?" 

"Heroes slayed most of them." The father saw no need to shield his young daughter from the truth. 

"That's sad."

"Aye. That it is." 

Jaina paused, taking a moment to think. 

"Heroes shouldn't do bad things like that." 

Rumple smiled warmly. She was a wee thing with impressively big ideas. 

"They tried to slay you. I don't like them." A scowl warped the girl's face and Rumple's smile faded from his. 

"Who told you that?" 

"A big boy. I was at the store with Mama and when I went to go look at the toys the boy came up to me. He said lots of mean things." Her chin trembled as she explained. 

"And did you tell Mama this happened?" Rumple asked, knowing she didn't. Gaeriel wouldn't have kept something like this from him had she known about it. 

"No. She would've talked to  _his_ mama and then the other kids would be mean to me more." Jaina's eyes were brimming now but she stared straight ahead at the television. 

More? The man everyone thought so ruthless could feel his heart breaking in two. 

"I don't wanna be friends with them but I don't like when they're not nice." 

"Of course not." Rumple wasn't sure what else to say. 

"Idiots..." Jaina mumbled, resting her chin on her knees. 

Her Papa laughed despite himself. 


End file.
